Three Baylor Pitchers Picked On Final Day Of Draft

WACO (June 6, 2012) -- Three members of Baylor’s pitching rotation were selected on the final day of the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday.

Josh Turley was selected in the 16th round by the Detroit Tigers, Tyler Bremer went in the 27th round to the Chicago Cubs, and Trent Blank was chosen by the Colorado Rockies in the 30th round. Baylor also had three players selected on Tuesday, giving the Bears six 2012 draftees, which brings Baylor’s all-time total to 123 draft picks.

Turley, Blank and Bremer have combined to post a 26-3 record this season, which each pitcher taking only one loss. Baylor is 33-6 in games started by the trio in 2012.

Turley is the first Baylor player picked by the Tigers since Craig Fritsch was tabbed in the eighth round in 2010. Fritsch elected to return to Baylor for his fourth season, and as a junior, Turley will have until July 13 to decide whether to do the same or sign a professional contract. Turley was previously drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 36th round out of high school in 2009.

Bremer is the first Bears player picked by the Cubs since Brooks Pinckard went in the 18th round in 2010. Bremer was also drafted by the Cubs in the 33rd round in 2010 after playing his sophomore season at Yavapai (Ariz.) Junior College, but he elected to play at Baylor.

Blank has a chance to become the first Baylor player drafted by the Rockies to sign a professional contract with the club since Jason Jennings was a first-round pick in 1999. Colorado has selected three Bears since Jennings, but Mike Huggins (2001, 25th round), Jared Theodorakos (2002, 49th round) and Tim Matthews (2008, 27th round) all chose not to sign.

A second-team All-American, Turley ranks second in the Big 12 with a 1.83 ERA and third in the league with a 9-1 record. He’s made 16 starts and held opponents to a .229 batting average over a team-leading 103.0 innings. Turley also became the third player in program history to start two games in a NCAA Regional when he made his second start of the Waco Regional on Monday against Dallas Baptist. Turley didn’t factor in the decision after allowing two runs in 4.0 innings, but he left with the 3-2 lead, and the Bears went on to win 8-2.

Blank, a third-team All-American, leads the Big 12 with 10 wins and has gone 10-1 with a 2.32 ERA in 18 appearances this season. He’s made 15 starts, leading Baylor to a 13-2 record in those games, and he’s holding opponents to a .240 batting average over 97.0 innings. Blank dropped his arm slot late last season and has season his numbers improve drastically since then. Prior to the change, Blank had gone 6-4 with a 6.15 ERA over 98.0 innings, and with the lower arm slot he’s 12-1 with a 2.66 ERA over 111.2 innings of work.

Bremer, who picked up a win against Oral Roberts in a Waco Regional elimination game by allowing only two runs in 6.0 innings on Sunday, is 7-1 with one save and a 3.08 ERA over 49.2 innings this season. He’s made eight starts and six relief appearances, and he’s struck out 42 while holding opponents to a .242 batting average. As seniors in their final seasons of collegiate eligibility, Bremer and Blank do not have signing deadlines.

Additionally, incoming signee Sterling Wynn was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 36th round. Wynn, a 2013 recruit from China Spring (Texas) High School, will have until July 13 to decide whether to sign a professional contract or join the Baylor program for the 2013 season.

The Bears return to action when they host Arkansas for the 2012 Waco Super Regional, which is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Saturday at Baylor Ballpark. Game two is slated for 3 p.m. Sunday, and if necessary, the third and final game will be played at 3 p.m. Monday.

Blank is expected to start on the mound in Saturday’s game, Turley is slated to start on Sunday, and if necessary, Bremer is a candidate to start Monday’s game three. The first two games of the Super Regional will be televised on ESPNUHD, and the finale will be shown on ESPN2HD.

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